That Way
by TCGeek
Summary: When Derek is given the choice to leave for Caduceus, he and Angie realize that they really have grown on each other... in a way neither of them saw coming. Complete.
1. Feelings

**Man... it feels good to be back around here :D**

**I'm honestly sorry I've been AWOL for so long - school has been kicking my butt hardcore, not to mention that I have a request and to-do list that is literally several miles long... (sigh)**

**But anyway, this story is pretty drabble-ish. I think there's only going to be one more chapter, unless I think up some sort of terrific brainchild, and then we'll see :D Like I said, nothing really too special - this dates back to Hope Hospital time, when Derek and Angie are just starting to get along.**

**This is also a request for the awesome that is Mz. CGP. I hope you like it so far, but if you think it's lame, totally tell me :)**

**Anyway, Hostage is in progress, FCL is on SLIGHT hiatus, Where You Belong is half done and many others are in the works. So, stay tuned, and enjoy this!**

* * *

Tap… tap… tap…

With crossed arms and an angry stare, Angie Thompson waited in hers and Derek's office for him on an early Monday morning, tapping her foot impatiently. She glanced at her watch and noticed that the second hand only had five more ticks to go before Derek would officially be late.

Tick… Tick… Tick.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap…

"Ugh…"

With an annoyed sigh and a roll of her eyes, Angie turned around in a slow circle, examining the office she stood in. She had barely been at Hope Hospital for over two months, and already, the place felt like home for the fact that she spent every day there.

Tick… tick… tick.

She examined her watch again. Seven minutes late.

"For the love, Derek…"

It was true, she had the tendency to be very… anal, as some would put it, though in her own mind, she figured that a surgeon of all people would learn to be on time, especially when that surgeon possessed a superhuman talent and had just successfully cured a patient with a mysterious disease just days ago. He should be here, but maybe she was just being too hard on him again…

One day in particular, she had yelled at him for being a whopping minute and a half late, before he had launched at her and tickled her until she laughed so hard, she forgot just what it was she had been upset about.

Come to think of it, he didn't get her to smile just when he had done something wrong… The more and more they worked together, the better coworkers they had become, just for the fact that when she was ready to fly off the handle he made sure to put a smile on her face. They had gotten so close that they were practically… friends.

A small smile graced her lips as she thought of this, before she squelched the smirk completely. It didn't matter what he did in the past – this was today, and today couldn't get underway without him. He was late.

Though his tardiness was annoying, Angie couldn't help but admit – it had gotten a lot better through their time together. He rarely ever came to work late anymore, and on more than one occasion, had actually taken the time to make his hair look presentable. Other than that he was more professional with the patients and with her, though he still childishly objected to doing his paperwork at times… She kept him in line, sure, but he seemed genuinely concerned with bettering himself.

However, the real question on Angie's mind?

…Was that bettering for himself, or for her?

With a soft sigh and another glance at her watch, Angie relapsed to the day that everything had changed: the day he had saved the young boy right before her eyes, when she had been too frazzled to handle it herself. That very same day she had called him out in front of Dr. Hoffman, basically throwing him under the bus when he was already in enough trouble as it was. Though it had started off roughly, it had eventually become the real start to their partnership – after that she began to trust him more and more, especially when he admitted he wanted to become a doctor she could be proud of.

"Hey you…"

Derek was now standing in the doorway to their office, looking at Angie as she smiled softly, not knowing she was reminiscing about their time together. She turned around slowly upon hearing the familiar voice, the voice that only reserved that certain tone for her, or so it seemed. The smile on her face grew in the midst of her pleasant trip through the past as he stood there and looked on at her nervously. And yet once again in his presence, she had forgotten why she had been so angry in the first place.

"Hi…" she simply replied, smiling at him warmly. The nervousness bled from his expression and he simply broadened the smile on his face, stepping inside their office gently, still staring at her.

"Sorry I'm late…" he said, watching as the smile instantly turned into an irate stare. He closed his eyes and sighed, knowing that he shouldn't have said anything at all.

And just as quickly as she had forgotten, she remembered once again.

"Dr. Stiles…" she started, crossing her arms.

"Here we go…" he muttered back, smiling as she scoffed.

"Don't you 'here we go' me…" Angie replied, hands now on her hips. "You're ten minutes late! We have patients waiting!"

"I'm sorry… I'm running a little behind. It is your fault, after all."

She watched him with a 'how dare you' type stare as he walked over to his desk and set the belongings in his hands on it, trying to get himself settled. Sometimes he was quite daring, especially when he knew that his nurse had the capability to rip him limb for limb should she see fit – but this time he took a chance.

"MY fault?! It's MY fault you're late?!" she screeched at nearly a supersonic level, prompting the surgeon to wince and cover the ear closest to her.

"I didn't mean it like that, would you just let me explain?"

Angie huffed and rolled her eyes slightly, turning her body towards him. "I'm listening."

Derek smiled. "Well, this morning I was driving to work, and I was… dare I say it, early." he started, sticking his hands in his pockets. He decided to press on when he noticed her fight to suppress a smile, walking towards her hesitantly.

"And then I thought to myself, 'Hey Derek, doesn't your lovely assistant who saves your butt seemingly every day hate Mondays?'" he continued, smiling harder when he saw a faint blush creep onto her cheeks, unable to repress her smile any longer. "And after I thought about it some more I remembered that you DO hate Mondays, because you tell me every Monday just how much you hate them… so, being that I owe you more than a couple favors, I decided I was going to do something nice for you, out of the kindness of my heart."

"Okay, okay Mr. Good Samaritan…" she joked, no longer hiding her smile through his story. "Get to the point?"

"Alright." he chuckled. "Well anyway, to cheer you up this morning, I stopped by our local Starbucks and decided to bring you something… You know, to give your morning a kick start… So, I got out of my car and walked inside and I thought about what you would like, when it dawned on me – a long time ago I heard you talking to one of the other nurses, and you mentioned your favorite Starbucks drink. So, because I figured I would need it someday, I wrote it down and stuck it in my wallet."

Angie giggled. "Really?"

"Yes, really." he replied with a smile. "So, I get up there to order your pumpkin spice latte…" he said, watching her eyes light up at the mention, "And, the barista so kindly informs me that their steamer is broken, so no hot drinks will be made today."

He watched the hopeful smile on her face drop, quickly intervening.

"But…" he said with a smile, walking next to his desk and grabbing the jacket that laid on top of it. "I didn't give up that easily…" he said, lifting the jacket off of his desk to reveal two large, white Starbucks cups, one with a pink sticker over the hole on the top to hold in the heat. "I just had to do some extra traveling."

"Hence…" he said, lifting the cup from its holder and handing it to her, seeing the giant smile on her face as she looked up at him.

"…why I'm late." he finished in a hushed tone, winking once at her as she took a sip of her latte, closing her eyes – it was perfect.

"Thank you, Dr. Stiles…" she said, still slightly stunned by his random act of kindness.

"Anytime, Angie." Derek smiled, content now that she was happy, the threat of bodily harm nonexistent. "Now, who's our first patient?"

"…Hmm?"

Angie blinked open her green eyes from behind her steaming hot latte, still inhaling the sweet aroma. He just chuckled at her in her daze, instead moving over to her desk and checking the first chart.

"I'm going to bring in the first patient, Angie. Is that okay, or should I let you spend some time alone with that latte?" Derek joked, an amused smile on his face as she raised an eyebrow at him.

"No, thank you, Dr. Stiles…" she giggled. "I'm ready whenever you are."

"Alright then…"

Angie smiled as she watched him walk away, a small giggle escaping her at she smile he sent back at her over his shoulder. She just winked back and took another full sip of her latte, right before Derek's office phone rang, prompting him to stop and turn around in confusion. With a shrug from her he walked over to his desk and lifted the black phone from its cradle.

"Dr. Stiles."

He listened to the voice on the other end for a brief second before his forehead furrowed, his eyes nervous. Angie stared on at him with concern until he bid the caller goodbye and hung up the phone, looking up at her with a blank stare.

"What's that about?" she asked, taking another sip of her latte as she sat down in a chair.

He scratched the back of his head. "Dr. Hoffman said that he arranged for another doctor to take care of our patients for the morning… and that I am to come to his office immediately."

She turned nervous looking at him, as nearly on cue, another nurse walked into their office and grabbed the aforementioned charts from Angie, retreating from the room without another word.

"Wow…" she said, taking another big sip of her latte. "What do you think he wants?"

Derek grabbed his own drink, taking a quick swig of it before sighing outwardly – this reminded him of the time that Dr. Hoffman and Angie had collectively torn him a new one, something that he was now worried over again. But instead of telling her that he just shrugged with his trademark happy-go-lucky smile.

"I don't know – guess I'm about to figure it out though… wish me luck!"

"Good luck…" she simply replied, giving him a reassuring smile as he removed himself from the room.

Shutting the door behind him, Angie was left with silence – a weird change of pace from her normal, hectic routine. Looking around for something to do she took another sip of her latte, realizing quickly that there really _was_ nothing to do… it was a Monday – there was no paperwork to do, nothing to file because the week was just beginning. And now that hers and Derek's patients had been passed off to another doctor-nurse team, Angie was left wondering exactly what she was going to do with all this extra time.

Spinning her chair around she clutched the latte close to her chest, feeling the steam come though the top and warm her face, the sweet aroma of pumpkin flooding her senses. She closed her eyes and reveled in the silence – Angie was usually the type to be lost without commotion, but as she sank into the relaxing quiet she realized just how much she missed having time to just think. Slender fingers traced over the side of the white cup as her other hand gripped it tightly, spinning her chair around again until she faced out the window, looking at the cityscape. She felt herself smirk slightly as she looked down at her drink, remembering who had bought it for her. It was probably one of the sweetest things anyone had done for her since… well, since she could remember. Not only was one of his first thoughts of the morning about her, he had taken the time to try to brighten her day, and had amazingly remembered her favorite drink – a feat that impressed her, seeing as sometimes it seemed as though he would forget his own name, were it not plainly spelled out and affixed to him on his security badge.

A giggle escaped her at this thought, as she realized something important. Sure she liked to rag on him, but he really was incredibly thoughtful, and pretty skilled as a surgeon. She had this habit of not giving him the benefit of the doubt, but that had all changed recently, as he had come to show her what he was truly made of – a man of incredible composure, integrity, and talent. Usually unshakable, Angie remembered being frightened beyond belief when lacerations began to all but explode in Linda Reid's chest, realizing with the help of Derek and Dr. Kasal that they were due to a parasite – a living creature in her chest that was literally cutting her up from the inside out. With just his best judgment, skilled hands, and a little help from her, they had managed to end it – allowing the young teenaged girl to be free of pain… to finally get on with her life.

Sure, she had given him direction here and there, encouraged him when he needed it – but it seemed like the more dire situations around the hospital had become as of late, the more he was holding _her_ together… something she had not realized until that very moment.

Angie smiled again as she sipped her latte – they had been off to a very rough start, but as much as she hated to admit it, she had really grown fond of her messy-haired, scatterbrained doctor… he really was a sweet man.

She sighed, resting the cup in her hands again, the warmth of it spreading through them and the rest of her body, feeling suddenly comforted. A lot had happened in the short time her and Derek had spent together, but for some reason, Angie knew that this was only the beginning of her helping keep his head on straight. She knew that she was going to get annoyed at times, but working with Derek made every day interesting… a thought that strangely, made her excited for what was to come. Even though they had their differences at times, Angie knew that he would always need her – and funnily enough, she wanted to be there for him.

Snapping out of her trance Angie's eyebrows dropped, her eyes slimming a bit as she set her latte down on her desk. She pushed the warm thoughts of her doctor to the back of her mind and stood up, looking around frantically for something to do.

"It's reasons like that why I always keep busy…" she muttered under her breath, rummaging around in her desk desperate for something to do before she could try to analyze what her wandering mind had brought to her attention.

"_I don't WANT to babysit him, I guess… I guess it's just nice to be needed. He really needs me..."_

"It's not like that…!" she grumbled, all but throwing her drawers closed as she found absolutely nothing to do – nothing to stop her mind from berating her with questions.

She whirled around in exasperation, desperate to free herself from thoughts of him.

"_Come on Angie, could this be more than what you're making it out to be?"_

"No…!" she muttered under her breath, storming over to Derek's desk instead – he always had something that needed to be done, as he got distracted pretty easily through the day. "It's not anything more, it's just professional… I'm his nurse and he needs me to help him stay on track, and that's all there is to it."

"_But would you be lying to yourself if you said you didn't think of him at all that way? He hangs onto your every word – he even cleaned himself up and started coming to work on time after you asked him to... and you know the day he got his hair cut you could barely stop looking at him..."_

"Dammit!" she hissed, seeing that surprisingly, Derek had finished all his work as well. She remained standing behind his desk as her mind continued to push her, force her to think of things that she sincerely did not want to visit.

"_And now he knows your favorite drink, and will travel over town to find it, subsequently risking a beating from you for being late."_

"Ugh…" Angie groaned, dropping her hands onto Derek's desk, on either side of the white calendar that lay on its surface. Something caught her attention and she stopped, skimming the days to see just what had caught her eye.

Amidst all the jotting of meetings, appointments and other professional notes was a small reminder at the bottom of the calendar on a very specific day, in perfectly neat print.

"Angie's Birthday"

The nurse was surprised when her heart fluttered once, taking a step back after she felt an instant smile form on her face.

It wasn't a big deal – so he remembered her birthday…

"_So now, he's remembered your favorite drink, your least favorite day of the week, and your birthday – which you know that you had only casually mentioned once – all in one day. You think maybe the guy might like you? And maybe, you might like him too?"_

Reaching up with a groan, Angie grabbed onto both sides of her head and stomped her foot in annoyance at her never-ceasing brain function. She tugged on her hair and walked out from behind his desk, stopping in the middle of their office.

"I don't like him! I'm happy to be his assistant, and his friend – and NOTHING more…" she mumbled, crossing her arms and looking out the window. "This is ridiculous…"

"_Alright, fiiiine... I'll shut up. But not until you explain why your heart skipped when you saw that he remembered your birthday..."_

Angie paused, thinking to herself momentarily before she grew frustrated, stomping her foot again.

"Ugh… Shut. UP! Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"

"_Just admit you love working with him, and I'll leave you alone... for now."_

Angie dropped her frustration at the thought that circulated through her mind, realizing that she could honestly admit there was truth to the statement – she did love working with him… he had this habit of making every day a little brighter, whether he was bringing her Starbucks or just cracking a goofy joke to make her laugh. He made Hope Hospital a little more bearable – something that she had not realized was due solely to him until just then.

And not two seconds after her revelation, a brunette cautiously stuck his head in the door to their office, glancing at her with a smile, though he seemed hesitant to walk into the room. Angie felt herself smile broadly and giggle once as he peered around the room questioningly, finally just opening the door and stepping in.

"It's okay, there are no monsters in here… I already checked." she joked, seeing him chuckle and stick his hands in his pockets.

"Well, I guess it would explain who you were just yelling at…" he replied, the smile on his face growing as her cheeks turned instantly fire-engine red, her once flawless diction coming out in spurts and stammers.

"I-I, um… s-sometimes, I just… I was…"

"Don't worry about it, Ang… I talk out loud a lot too. Can't say I yell at myself, but hey – to each his own, right…?"

Angie just nodded, a nervous chuckle escaping her. She looked down at the floor before her brain clicked on, her head shooting up to look at him.

"What happened with Dr. Hoffman?" she asked. "…I-If, of course, you don't mind me asking…"

Instead of smiling like usual, Derek shifted on his feet, reaching behind him and closing the door. Angie instinctively lowered onto their couch, looking at him questioningly as he paced forward, his hands fumbling with one another.

"Actually, I don't mind at all – it's just…"

He raised his head up to look at her, noting her expression of worry and wonder as he continued on, unsure exactly of how to say it.

Derek sighed, dropping his hands to his sides gingerly.

"I guess…" he started. "I guess, I've got some big news."

* * *

**Alrighty, I'm going to pass out from being so tired, so I'll finish this at a later date. See you then! :D**


	2. An Invitation

**TCGeek is about to faint. **

**I just took a glance at my "To-Do" list and I don't think I'm ever gonna finish. (sigh) **

**Well, here's a step in the right direction - this is the 2nd chapter to my request from CGP. **

**With my executive decision, this has extended an extra chapter than it was previously supposed to, for the fact that I needed another chapter to tell the story cause I took too much space up with this one :D  
**

**Last chapter, Derek was about to break it to Angie that Caduceus wants him. So, what kind of shenanigans will unfold?**

**You shall see...! Enjoy!**

**PS: Buy UTK2. It's the most amazing game ever created on the face of this planet. EVER.**

* * *

Angie blinked, feeling a flutter in her stomach. "…big news? What is it?"

"Well…" Derek started with a sheepish laugh, reaching one hand behind him to rub the back of his head as the other one slid into his pocket. "I just spoke with Dr. Hoffman, and he told me something interesting."

Angie stayed silent but raised an eyebrow, silently questioning him to continue.

"Remember Linda? And, after the operation how you and Dr. Kasal had discussed GUILT?"

"Y-Yes…" Angie replied, shuddering at the mention.

"Well, Dr. Hoffman had the paperwork sent over to another hospital that specializes in researching the disease to have it analyzed… turns out, it was GUILT – A disease popping up in several isolated cases around the world… but the place we had it sent to thinks that GUILT is manmade – an act of terrorism, and they're anticipating an outbreak."

Angie's mouth dropped open slightly but she didn't say anything, instead just starting on at Derek speechlessly.

"But that's not all…" Derek continued, sticking his other hand in his pocket and shifting on his feet, looking down at them hesitantly. "As it turns out, Linda was the first successfully cured GUILT patient. You and I performed the only successful surgery to date…"

"You're kidding…!" Angie said with a half smile, shocked by the statement. "Dr. Stiles, are you serious? That's great news!"

"Yeah, I'm serious…" he continued, his smile fading. "And you're right – it is great news…"

"Dr. Stiles…?" Angie questioned, seeing his expression change.

"Angie, the organization that the paperwork was sent to requested that I join them. It's… Caduceus."

Angie's eyes shot wide open and she leapt to her feet. "Caduceus?! As in… forefront of modern medicine Caduceus?! I'm so JEALOUS!"

Derek nodded. "That's the one… and wait, why are you jealous?"

Angie huffed. "Everything there is completely state of the art – that's literally the front line of medicine… a new era of treatments at your fingertips. You bet I'm jealous…"

Suddenly Angie took a step back and allowed her thoughts to circulate, realizing what this meant.

"Wait… does this mean…you're… leaving?" she asked slowly. Her mind started to race like crazy just like before when she had been alone in their office, but this time she was able to shrug it off as she stared on at him, waiting for an answer.

"I… don't know yet…" he replied softly, bringing his eyes up sheepishly to look at her. "I… have a lot of thinking to do, I guess."

Angie just continued to stare at him, nodding her head gently. He… might be leaving… and just when she they were starting to become friends.

"_Oh, don't you mean just when you were starting to fall for him?"_

Angie's forehead twitched in response to the berating of her mind, realizing that she had let her guard down long enough for it to get to her again.

"Angie…?" Derek asked cautiously, looking at her. "Angie, are you alright?"

"Yeah, it's just…"

"_...that I was really beginning to like working with you..."_

"…sudden, that's all."

Derek smiled softly, walking over to his desk and surveying his stack of paperwork as he sat down.

"Don't worry Angie… I'm not sure that the job would be right for me anyway. I mean, I like seeing my patients and getting to talk with them – being in a research facility is something I'm not sure I'd enjoy." he said, looking up at her. She had not changed positions, but slowly brought her head to her left to look at him.

"I see what you mean, but…"

"And besides…" he continued, cutting her off as a faint blush swept his cheeks. "…I couldn't leave the world's best assistant behind, now could I? I've already learned one favorite kind of coffee, I refuse to learn another…"

Angie giggled and Derek sent her a warm smile, removing a pen from his pocket as he set to work on his charts. She lingered for a moment before returning to her own desk, unable to remove the grin from her lips. It disappeared the instant she began thinking again, one question plaguing her…

…what if he decides to leave?

--

"I think… maybe, that something in that little heart refused to give up…"

Angie spoke softly with a warm smile on her face, mirroring the one on Derek's lips.

"I guess so…" he said as he stitched up young Elisa Chalke's chest, a young girl he had just performed heart surgery on. Within minutes Angie was rolling her from the ER and Derek was on his way outside to talk to Elisa's mother. A woman with shoulder length hair came rushing up to him immediately upon his exit through the doors, nearly tackling him as he did not see her coming.

"Is my daughter… Will Elisa be alright?" she asked hesitantly, tears welling in her eyes.

Derek smiled brightly. "The operation was a complete success. She'll need about two months to fully recover before she can go back to school. But, after that, she'll be as good as new."

The girl's mother sighed with relief and smiled through her tears. "Oh, thank you doctor… that's such good news…!"

"People are always worried by heart surgery – especially on children." Derek continued. "But, modern medicine allows us to treat various conditions with a higher success rate than ten, even just five years ago. To be honest, I'm more worried about the psychological stress operations like this might have on small children. Please take good care of her while she goes through recovery…"

She nodded and thanked Derek again, walking back to her family as he retreated through the double doors to the surgery wing, stopping just on the other side of them as he began to relive a painful memory of his past, triggered by his own words.

"_I'm very sorry ...modern medicine just hasn't advanced enough to treat a disease like this... You have our condolences." _

"_Mom... why are you crying? Dad's okay, right? He's... gonna get better, right?! B-but... why isn't Dad getting better...? You can fix him! You just gotta! ...He's my dad!" _

"_...I'm sorry, son. No doctor in the world could save your father from this." _

"Modern medicine…" Derek muttered as his eyes opened wide, determination suddenly setting itself in his body as he walked forward, picking up the pace in his steps as he got on the elevator and rode it up to Director Hoffman's office.

--

"Losing someone to a disease is painful… and I'm going to make sure that nobody ever has to know that pain again – I'm going to accept the offer from Caduceus."

Derek stood in front of Dr. Hoffman with an adamant expression, absolutely sure that what he was doing was the right thing. The director silently questioned his decision with his eyes momentarily before dropping the act, having already tried to talk him out of it numerous times that day.

"Alright, well, if that's your decision, I guess I can't stop you… I do wish you luck though, Derek…"

After briefly trying to question his motives the director had given into Derek's request to join Caduceus with a small smirk and a handshake for good luck.

"Oh, but there is one more thing…" Hoffman interjected, right before Derek could leave the room.

"Yes?"

"Caduceus is a hectic environment – I know you don't know now what you're about to get yourself into, but you'll soon find out. That's why I'd like to send you with an assistant you're comfortable with… would you send Angie in so I can extend the offer to her as well?"

Derek stopped, feeling a small smile tug at his lips. Leaving her behind was the major con in the whole plan, and something that genuinely made him feel as though he didn't want to leave. He had worked hard to impress her, and it was working – she had come around a lot and yelled at him a lot less often these days… it seemed more often than not he was putting a smile on her lips instead of fire in her eyes. And the more she smiled at him, encouraged him, or joked around with him with the cute little giggle that seemed to melt him, he found himself looking forward to coming to work more and more every day. Sure, he told himself the motivation had been for his patients – but was that really the case, now that he thought about it?

"Actually…" Derek started, turning back around to face the director. "…Would, it be alright if I told her? And, sent her up here to let her tell you her decision tomorrow?"

Dr. Hoffman raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair slightly, a quizzical look on his face though he opted not to press the matter. "I guess that would be alright, Derek… I need her decision by tomorrow though, or else we'll have to find you a replacement."

"Will do, sir. And thank you, for everything…" he said with a smile, removing himself from the office.

--

"Oh Dear God, will you just SHUT UP already!?"

"_Not until you admit to yourself that you're starting to like him "that way"..."_

Angie groaned from behind a mountain of paperwork, now holding her head in her hands as her mind began trying to reason with her again, though she was having none of it. "…it's not "that way" at all!" she hissed to herself, scribbling furiously away at a piece of paper.

"_...I just, don't want him to leave... that's all."_

Suddenly, interrupting her thoughts was the door to hers and Derek's shared office swinging open, the aforementioned surgeon stepping inside.

"H-Hey, Angie…" he said nervously, rubbing the back of his head as he smiled.

"Hello, Dr. Stiles…" she replied, returning his smile as he walked over to her, which piqued her curiosity. She watched as he nervously scuffled his shoes against the ground, looking down at them as his hands slid into his pockets.

"D-Do… do you have a minute, Angie?"

Angie's heart started to beat furiously in her chest. "Of course, Doctor…" she said, swirling her chair around to face him. "What's up?"

"_This must be about Caduceus." _she reasoned in her mind

Wrong.

"Angie, I wanted to know… um, because we're uh, getting off duty soon…" Derek stuttered, his voice soft and slightly shaky. "…If maybe, you would, um… let me take you out to d-dinner, tonight?"

Angie's eyes shot open a mile wide at his invitation – her assumption had been about Caduceus, which allowed his invite to take her completely by surprise.

"E-Excuse me?!" she asked, feeling a slight squeak in her voice at her complete shock.

Derek sighed and smiled to cover up his nervousness, again shifting on his feet. "Can I take you to dinner, tonight after work?"

Against her inner struggling a broad smile swept Angie's face, her cheeks stained a light pink as she giggled.

"_He's asking you out – go for it!"_

"S-Sure…" she replied, seeing the nervousness lift from his face, replaced by a cheesy grin. "That sounds lovely…"

The topic of Caduceus completely slipped her mind as they traded another smile, before she spun around in her chair, scribbled out quick directions to her place and handed them to Derek, who promised to pick her up at eight. The pair both were blushing and had smiles on their faces right up until the very moment Derek left to go check on one of his patients, and even after that, the giggles and smiles returned sporadically through the day. Eventually they both left the hospital and waved goodbye to one another, nervousness lingering until eight o'clock would come to pass.

And as Angie climbed into her car with a smile still on her lips, she vehemently ignored her mind's wishes to tease her further, instead starting up the car quickly to drive home, her stomach a nervous, happy wreck.

…Maybe all this time, her mind had been right on the money.

--

"I'm coming!"

The rushed shout was Angie's only response to the knock at her front door, leaving her hurdling over several obstacles in her apartment to answer it in an appropriate amount of time. She stopped right before it and looked in a mirror in the front hallway, checking herself over nervously, yet with great care.

"_Why are you so nervous? Pull yourself together!"_

With a big breath inward Angie reached forward and grabbed the handle to the door and pulled it open, a big smile sweeping her face as Derek came into her view, looking more handsome than she had ever seen him. He was wearing a midnight blue dress shirt and black tie under a black sweater vest, along with matching black pants and dress shoes. She giggled when she watched him look at her, a slight pink creeping onto his cheeks as he stuttered gently.

"W-Wow, Angie…" he stammered, smiling broadly. "You look… g-great!"

She giggled at the compliment, shifting on her feet slightly. Her hair was in a low ponytail and swept over her left shoulder, blonde locks spilling over a sequined strapless black dress that hugged her body and flared out just above her knees. Black high heels clicked a handful of times as she spun around and grabbed her purse off of the front table, stepping towards him with another smile, her eyes never leaving his face.

"_Wow, I'd never guess in a million years you would clean up this well, Derek..."_

"I-Is… something wrong?" he asked after a few seconds with a light chuckle, shyly bringing his hand up to scratch the side of his head nervously.

Angie blinked once and quickly shook her head, snapping herself out of her daydream with a blush.

"No, everything's fine, I just… am dumbfounded by the fact that you actually combed your hair!" she joked, trying her best to lighten the mood.

Derek scowled for a moment before joining her in giggles as she stepped out of her apartment and locked her door behind them, turning around to face him.

"I'm just kidding with you, Dr. Stiles…" she offered, checking the door once more. "You look quite h-handsome."

"Well thank you… but might I remind you, that we're not at work – that "Doctor" crap isn't gonna cut it…"

Angie giggled again as a mad blush and smile swept Derek's face, before his arm was extended to her like a gentleman.

"Shall we?"

"Absolutely… Derek."

She smiled and linked her arm with his, allowing him to accompany her out of her out of the building with a small nod. Angie couldn't remember the last time she had been this nervous about something but she quickly shook the bad thoughts out of her mind – so far, it was going well.

If only she knew what was in store.

--

In Derek's Jeep, they pulled up in the back of the parking lot of a small restaurant called Bista's, a place so tucked away that Angie had never noticed it in her travels around the city. He pulled quickly into a parking spot and Angie looked out the windshield at the establishment, surveying it to the best of her ability.

"I don't think I've ever even seen this place before…" Angie mused, still examining it. "…What kind of restaurant is it?"

Derek smiled as she looked at him. "Bista's makes the best Italian food you'll ever eat. Guaranteed." he said with confidence, removing his seatbelt as Angie's eyes lit up. "Italian is your favorite… isn't it?" he asked with a satisfied grin, watching her nod with a look of shock on her face.

Derek was right…Italian food was her absolute favorite – yet another thing he remembered about her.

He was good, she had to admit.

"Stay right there for a sec, okay? Don't move."

Angie nodded with a hint of confusion behind her eyes as he exited the car and shut his door, wondering else he could possibly have up his sleeve. And just as she began to delve deeper into her thoughts her door opened wide, Derek holding it open with one hand, his other hand extended towards her to help her step out, like a perfect gentleman.

He was _really _good.

She was sure the look of astonishment on her face was completely evident, as noted by the fact that Derek was now chuckling at her.

"Are you okay?" he asked her with a laugh as she placed her hand gently in his and with his help, exited the car. "Because you look like you just saw a ghost, or something."

"I'm fine…" she replied with a warm smile, seeing him reach around her and close the door. "I just don't remember the last time someone opened a door for me…"

Derek smiled again. "That's really a shame… though I thought for a minute there it was because you were surprised it was coming from me."

Angie giggled. "No, not at all – it's just refreshing to see that a true gentleman still exists." she replied, smiling at him as they started on their walk inside.

And as Derek took the first step, Angie noticed something very important – something that made her face heat up instantly as they began to walk towards the restaurant…

…she had never removed her hand from his after she exited the car.

Stealing a quick glance at him Angie noticed that his eyes were on the cars in the parking lot, navigating the two of them through the parked vehicles as they neared the restaurant, his expression completely cool and as though he didn't even notice.

"_Okay, think Angie... if you remove your hand it'll probably make things uncomfortable for the two of you, especially if you don't do it for any good reason. So, either find a damn good reason to take it away, or get used to it there..."_

Angie pondered over this for a moment, feeling herself smile as she caught a glimpse of their clasped hands… their fingers weren't intertwined but instead his warm hand enveloped her tiny one, holding onto it protectively as he walked with her towards the entrance.

"_...Would it really be so bad if I just... left it there?"_

She smiled and blushed again upon coming around to the idea, tightening her grip on his hand just enough to signify her acceptance of the gesture.

And no sooner did she give his hand that comforting squeeze than he gently released her hand in favor of pulling open the door for her, standing next to it with his trademark smile.

"After you…" he simply said, seeing her hesitate for a moment before walking inside.

And behind her Derek let out a large breath, unable to believe that he had just gotten away with holding her hand, and even more surprised that she had liked it.

He sighed again, feeling the butterflies in his stomach flutter again as she sent a smile over her shoulder at him, causing him to return the gesture warmly. It was that smile she possessed that made him realize that although he loved to deny it, maybe his feelings for her really _were _in "that way".

"Derek… Are you coming?"

Derek shook his head quickly to rid himself of the thoughts as he heard Angie's voice call out to him, and realized that he had been thinking too long as he was now holding the door open for complete strangers, while she was inside waiting for him. He nodded quickly and followed her inside, trying to hold his cool as best as he could.

"_Don't forget, Stiles... this is to talk with her about Caduceus, not to act like a lovesick teenager..."_

"_Oh yeah, then why is she doing the same thing?"_

"_Oh, just shut up already and go inside..."_

Nervewracked beyond all belief, Derek realized it was for that reason and that reason alone he remembered just why he hated going on dates – the nervousness in his stomach hadn't ceased since he saw her for the first time, and they probably wouldn't until after he dropped her off.

"_It's a good thing..." _he thought to himself as he passed through the doors, stopping at her side with a smile, _"...that she's worth those butterflies."_

* * *

**Uh oh, looks like those two are starting to like each other...! **

**The REAL fun unfolds next chapter - I've still got some tricks up my sleeve :D**

**See you then!**


	3. A Date

**Okay, I'm making headway on this giant to-do list... this story is complete as of this chapter.**

**Once again, this is for Ms. CGP - a fluff-filled story about Derek and Angie accepting the offer to Caduceus. This chapter, focuses mainly on that, as well as more fluffy little mishaps :D (Wouldn't be a TCGeek story without 'em)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The pair were smiling softly as they were lead to their table by the hostess, the nervous, happy smiles sticking even after they were seated. Angie and Derek exchanged a quick glance and a smile but their eyes drifted from one another's and to their menus, trying as best they could to break the tension.

"Oh wow…" Angie whispered, letting out a low whistle.

Derek looked up from his menu at her and smiled, seeing her excited expression. "What?"

"Oh nothing… we just, might be here for a little while…" she giggled. "This all sounds so amazing…"

Derek returned her laugh and smiled. "I know – it's by far the hardest part of coming here… Though whatever you do get will be really good, so I guess you can't lose…"

"I guess we'll see, huh?" she said with a smile, closing her menu just as the waiter came by. He took their drink and dinner orders and excused himself to go ready them, leaving them alone together again.

"_To the bride and the EXTREMELY sexy groom!"_

Derek and Angie exchanged a confused smile as they looked across the restaurant to see a toast being given by what looked like a very intoxicated best man, leaning lazily over onto the groom as the bride giggled and the rest of the people in attendance raised their glasses.

"Aw, it looks like a rehearsal dinner…!" Angie chirped, smiling at the sight.

Derek cast a glance back at Angie who 'awwed' again when the bride and groom shared a kiss, clasping her hands into her chest. He just smiled warmly and pretended not to be looking at her as he looked back at the stumbling best man, laughing to himself before he remembered why they were there.

"Hey, Angie…?" he asked quietly, feeling a nervous flutter in his stomach. He frowned momentarily at it, wondering why he was nervous… she was going to be excited to hear the news, and he wasn't going to lose her – it was good for everyone.

"Hmm…?" she replied, the smile on her face fading as she caught his eyes, seeing the slightest glint of worry in them.

_...but what if she doesn't want to come?_

Derek shook his head briefly and smiled back at her, realizing that he had been spacing out for so long she was now staring idly at him, confusion set in her expression.

"I'm sorry…" he said, blushing just slightly. "I didn't mean to space out on you…"

"That's okay…" she replied, unconvinced. "…is everything alright, Derek?"

"Yeah…" Derek began slowly, taking a deep breath as he realized there was no reason to be nervous. His confidence began to grow as he smiled more broadly than before, seeing the worry in her eyes dissipate.

"Angie, I brought you out to dinner tonight because I need to talk to you about something…" he started.

Angie felt her heart skip a beat as he talked, his face now serious, as his smile had dropped completely when he started talking. She raised an eyebrow as her heart began to beat furiously – when he asked her to dinner she had forgotten all about his offer from Caduceus, but now it came flying back into her head, leaving her to wonder what his decision was.

"T-This, is about Caduceus… isn't it?" she asked, biting her lower lip softly when he nodded.

"Yeah… it is." he stated matter-of-factly.

"Angie…" he said slowly, clasping his hands on the table in front of him. "I became a doctor so that people don't have to suffer from diseases ever again… and with the knowledge that you and I performed the first successful GUILT operation and the news of the ability I have, I realize that the dream of wiping out disease is most definitely within reach."

"I agree completely – and I know if you put your mind to it, you can do it." she smiled half-heartedly, still waiting to see what he was going to say.

"Thanks Angie…" he said with a small blush and smile. "…I figured you'd understand."

"That's why…" Derek continued, his smile fading. "…I realized that the best way to fight against those diseases is to have the best tools, methods, teachers, and facilities at your disposal…"

Angie nodded slowly.

Derek let out a small sigh. "Angie, I accepted the offer from Caduceus today…"

When the nurse heard him say the words out loud she felt herself slump down in her chair slightly, trying to mask the sadness she felt with a bright smile, though it took a few seconds for the shocked expression to dissipate and make way for her forced grin.

"Congratulations, Derek…" she said sincerely. "I'm so happy for you… you're going to do great things there, I just know it."

Her words spoke honest feelings, but her eyes told a different story – and that was why after he told her the news Derek waited, looking in them and trying to bite back a smile as he stared on at her. No matter how she tried to mask it with her tone of voice and facial expressions her disappointment cast a cloud over her usually sparkling green eyes, leaving her true emotions vulnerable even though she didn't even realize it was happening.

But as Derek stared deeply at her in that fleeting moment, he finally slowly succumbed to a gentle smile, realizing that her disappointment ultimately showed that she cared about him – something that made him realize that should she decide to follow him to Caduceus, he hoped one day, just maybe, he would be able to tell her that in the short time they had known each other, he was falling like never before.

He realized at that moment that he had been staring at her a bit too long, as shown by her confused giggle and raised eyebrow.

"Sorry… it's that spacing out thing again…" he said with a scratch to the back of his head, causing her to giggle again.

"Well, Derek…" she sighed with another fake smile, trying to stop herself from sulking. "I really am happy for you – but it's not going to be the same without you at Hope…"

Derek smiled broadly and his cheeks flared again, much to his dismay.

"You know, now that I think about it, we might actually get paperwork done _on time_…" she joked, giggling as he pouted and then laughed back.

"Just, make sure to come back and visit, alright?" she asked with a hopeful smirk.

Derek chuckled and blushed. "Don't worry, Angie… you're going to be seeing a lot of me… that is, if you want to – it's really up to you."

Angie raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well…" he started. "It's true that in the past couple months, Angie, you whipped me into some major shape – I don't think I'd be where I am without you, and your help."

She smiled softly.

"And that's why I need to know…" he continued. "…if you would do me the honor of following me to Caduceus."

Angie's eyes shot open and her hands flew up over her mouth immediately, causing Derek to jump just a bit as he smiled.

"WHAT?!" she shrieked from behind her hand, though it failed to muffle the volume of her yell and consequently, the whole restaurant was now looking at the two of them.

She looked around embarrassed as Derek just chuckled at her, eventually seeing her bring her eyes back to him.

"Okay… what?" she said softer that time.

"Well, you're my assistant – we're a team. And any successes I have are due in part to you, Angie. So, when I went to accept the offer I was going to ask if you would be allowed to come with me, but before I could ask Dr. Hoffman had already decided to extend the invitation to you as well."

Angie smiled broadly – he really didn't want to leave her, after all.

"So, what do you think…?" Derek asked. "…Would you like to come with me? Or would you be happier at Hope…?"

The blonde grinned and let out a happy giggle, cocking her head just slightly to the right. "It would be an absolute honor to go…"

Derek smiled back. "You mean it?" he asked excitedly, smile growing as he saw her nod.

"Are you kidding?! Of course I mean it! This is so exciting…!" she exclaimed.

"I hoped you would say that… now I don't have to worry about trying to replace you." he said with a warm smile, causing Angie to blush. "I-I mean…" he stammered. "…No, that's really what I meant…" Derek smiled, his cheeks flaring just like hers as he looked away, trying his best to change the subject.

"So, I'll be your assistant at Caduceus as well, I take it?" Angie asked.

"I'm almost positive you will…" Derek started. "Dr. Hoffman said when he was talking to me today that Caduceus is a very hectic place, and he didn't want to send me there without somebody I'm comfortable with."

"Yeah, sounds like I'll still be your assistant… and I'm glad, Derek – I've had a lot of fun working with you."

They both smiled, cheeks flaring up again as they realized how outright honest they were both being with each other.

"Though, I do wonder how different things are going to be now…" Derek mused, thinking it over.

She nodded. "Besides being incredibly busy and having to get used to a whole new, most likely stricter set of protocol, I hope you know that we're most likely going to be traveling a lot under Caduceus's jurisdiction – they're a world-wide medical superpower… they provide care all over the planet." she replied.

Derek shuddered. "I kind of figured that'd be the case, but still… I hate traveling."

"Don't worry, Derek…" Angie gently replied with another warm smile. "You'll be fine… From now on, anywhere you go, I'll be at your side, whether I have to be holding your airsick bag or not…"

Derek chuckled at the joke and smiled at the sentiment behind it, knowing that he had found someone who was going to stick with him through it all. It made his heart thump in his chest, realizing that he really did think of her in "that way".

"…sorry to say you're stuck with me now." she finished, taking a sip of her drink.

"I wouldn't have it any other way…" he replied. "Besides, who said it was a bad thing?"

The two of them shared a giggle just as their food was set in front of them, thanking the waiter who promptly left them alone.

"Before I forget, I told Dr. Hoffman that you would let him know your decision tomorrow… he wanted to tell you himself, but I asked if I could instead…"

Angie smiled. "Why?"

"Just because – you're my assistant, and I know how excited you were when I brought up Caduceus…" he reasoned, grinning. "And besides that, I needed to be able to talk you out of it if you even thought about saying no."

She giggled again. "There's no way I'd ever think about turning down an offer like that… I'm so excited already. Do you have any idea how amazing it's going to be, working on the front-lines of modern medicine?"

Derek laughed. "I don't know – but I guess we're about to find out."

He raised his glass and she followed suit, proposing a toast to their new positions as their glasses clinked and they shared yet another smile – hopefully, one that would be the first of many to come.

--

"Oh, crud, it's pouring out…"

Derek and Angie readied themselves to leave the restaurant, noticing the downpour of rain outside just as they were about to walk out the front door. Opening the door for her Derek grabbed onto her arm gently and stopped her from going any further, instead forcing her to stay put under the giant awning that spanned over the front door.

"Stay here, I'm going to go grab the car, alright?" he asked, waiting to walk away until she responded.

"Aw, its okay, I'll walk with you…"

"Nonsense – I'll be right back…" he said with a grin, still hesitant to leave until she agreed to stay put.

"Alright… thank you…!" she replied with a smile just as he dashed off into the parking lot, immediately soaked by the rain.

Angie surveyed the area as she waited, pulled out of her thoughts quickly by an unfamiliar voice.

"…s'that your boyyfriend?"

With her trademark sharp glare, Angie looked to her right to see a very drunk man smoking and talking to her, immediately recognizing him as the drunk best man from the party inside.

"No…" she replied curtly. "We work together."

Thinking that would be the end of it Angie turned her eyes back toward the parking lot.

_What's taking him so long?_

"Well… d'ya have a boyyyfriend?" he slurred again, tossing away his cigarette.

Angie scowled again and turned her head sideways again, glare growing in ferocity. "No. And frankly, I'm not interested. So thanks."

"Awww…." he slurred, taking a step toward her. "What's a pretty lil' thing like you doin without a boyfriend?" he asked, stumbling once and nearly falling into her.

"Get away from me…" she warned, wincing when she smelled the alcohol on his breath.

"Oh, come on baby… don't be like thaaat…" he chuckled as he moved closer. Angie stepped back in defense but felt her back hit a pole, realizing that if she moved again she would be out in the pouring rain – not that it sounded like a bad idea at that moment…

But regretfully he had her pinned there, especially as he closed in and his hot, nasty breath tickled her face. With nothing else to do she bit her lip and brought her hand up quickly to try to get him away with one of the many Aikido moves she had mastered over her years, shocked beyond belief when he caught her wrist and squeezed it tightly, even in his drunken state. She tried again with the other hand but he grabbed that one too, pressing his body against hers as he held her wrists closely to his chest.

"Why are you fiiighting…?" he cooed, wincing as she dug her heel into his foot, seeing it do nothing besides fuel him. He moved so that he was holding both of her hands in one of his now, using the other one to trace the neckline of her dress as she struggled to get free.

"C'mon… just… lemme take you home…" he whispered, free hand moving from her neckline to her chest, where he was about to grab something very inappropriate before he was tapped on the shoulder, causing him to stop.

"What?" he groaned, turning back to Angie before a hand was placed on his shoulder, whirling him around forcefully instead of giving him a choice.

"Hey man, what the he—"

And before he could even finish his sentence the drunken best man was met with a fist to the face, immediately dropping him to the ground as Angie gasped, looking up quickly with a scared expression to see Derek shaking his right hand quickly, trying to get rid of the sting.

"Are you alright?" he asked her with a fierce yet concerned glare, seeing her nod quickly and timidly smile at him as the man on the ground tried to get himself up, stopped when Derek placed his foot on his back and pressed him firmly back down into the ground – just as his friends walked outside and stared at both Derek and Angie and then their friend, who still lay slightly bloody and groaning on the floor. Nobody said anything as glances were exchanged, before Derek finally spoke up.

"Make sure when he gets up, you have a long talk with him about what the word "No" means…" was all Derek said, in a fierce tone that didn't bring forth any more questions. The two men looked at Angie who was still shaking and their angry expressions lightened instantly, realizing what must've happened.

"Come on, Angie…"

Derek extended his hand to her and she placed hers in his without hesitation, feeling him help her gently over the best man and close to him, linking his arm around her waist firmly to protect her. He turned the two of them around and pulled her out into the rain, where he opened the car door for her and helped her in, walking around to the other side himself. He shut the door and pulled out of the parking lot quickly, leaving the jerk's friends to deal with him themselves. They pulled out of the restaurant parking lot and Derek drove for roughly a minute before he pulled into the parking lot of a nearby store, putting the car into park and turning towards her as he turned the engine off.

"Angie…?" he questioned, placing his hand softly on hers. "Angie, are you okay?"

She turned her head towards him with a soft smile. "I'm fine, Derek…"

"Are you sure? That was kind of…" he trailed off, unable to find a way to describe it. "I know it must've been scary…"

"It was, for a minute there…" she replied, noticing right then that his hand was on top of hers protectively. "I kept trying to move but he had me pretty well, for someone who could barely stand on their own…"

Angie continued to stare at his hand on top of hers until he looked down as well, finally seeing what was catching her attention. He grew instantly nervous and began to chuckle slightly, pulling it away slowly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't—" he began to say, halted when the hand he had been resting on top of grabbed his and curled her fingers around it, pulling the both of them back into her lap. She looked at the sight and then brought her eyes up to his, sharing a shy smile before turning her eyes back down, tracing the back of his hand with the fingers of her free hand.

"Thank you, for standing up for me, Derek…" she said softly, still averting his gaze, though she knew he was looking in her direction. "You were like… my knight in shining armor."

Angie picked that moment to bring her eyes up to him, smiling when she saw that he was looking down at their clasped hands with a warm smile of his own, quickly turning his stare up to her where his smile grew and he chuckled briefly.

"It was nothing, Angie… People have to realize that they can't just run their hands over you whenever they feel like it, especially when you try to fight them… I'm just sorry I didn't get there sooner – I'm sure I could've handled it a different way, but I just got so mad that I kind of, snapped… I'm sorry."

She smiled at his sweetness. "You have nothing to be sorry for… I'm just glad you came to my rescue… and believe me, that was most likely the only thing that was going to get him to stop."

Angie paused, looking down at his hand with a gentle squeeze of her own.

"Is your hand okay?"

Derek laughed. "Yeah, its fine – stung a little, that's all… I can't believe how long it's been since I've done that."

She squeezed his hand again gently without a response.

"I'm just, sorry that something like that had to happen on our first date…" he said matter-of-factly, growing somewhat concerned when she snapped her head up quickly to meet his stare.

"Our what?!" she exclaimed, seeing him grow nervous.

"First… date…?" he repeated slowly.

Angie's eyes shot open even wider than before. "T-This, wasn't a d-date, Derek…" she fumbled, "W-We, were celebrating the offer from Caduceus! That's all!"

She laughed nervously and he began chuckling with her, leaning over in his seat towards her just slightly, brown eyes gleaming with a glint of playfulness.

"So, it wasn't a date…?" he asked, seeing her shake her head. "Hmm…" he mused, looking out the window and then down at their hands, which were still clasped on her lap.

"You're sure…? You sure maybe tonight wasn't us going out in "that way"…?"

Angie gulped. "Yes, I'm sure…"

Derek just chuckled, taking it very well, given the circumstances.

"Okay, well, tell me then…" he said, leaning towards her just a little more.

"If this isn't a date…" he started "…why did you agree to go out with me, even though when I asked you, you had no idea I wanted to talk to you about Caduceus?"

"I…"

Angie stopped dead in her tracks, her cheeks nearly purple in her embarrassment as she realized she had been caught, feeling ready to kill Derek as he just smiled broadly, waiting for her answer.

"Sounds to me…" he started again, turning on the car as he gave her one last smile, removing his hand from hers so he could drive. "…that this was definitely a date."

"Derek Stiles, I will kill you if you don't cut it out right now…!" she shrieked, unable to repress the smile on her face from coming out in full force.

And he just laughed to her threat as he drove her home, a perfect gentleman until the very end of the night, opening the door for her and even walking her back upstairs to her apartment, even though she would barely look at him – something that made him smile even harder.

"Goodnight, Angie… and thanks for coming tonight on our 'non-date'..." Derek said with a smile, happy when she finally dropped her shy act and stared back at him.

"Thank _you_ for everything tonight, Derek… for dinner, and the offer, and for helping me with that guy. I had a really nice time…" she replied with a grin of her own, giggling when she saw Derek shyly scratch the back of his head.

"Alright, I'll see you at work tomorrow…" he said, bidding her goodbye with a wave as he turned to walk away.

And as Angie watched him turn around, she felt a strange thumping in her chest that made her realize he was right – it was a date… and a damn good one at that, all things considered.

"Wait!"

Derek whirled around as Angie came walking towards him quickly, surprised when she smiled at him before her hands slid around him, holding him to her in a tight embrace. He stalled for a moment and then smiled as his cheek pressed into the side of her head gently, his arms coming to rest tightly around her as well.

After a few seconds she broke from the hug but stayed standing in front of him, shocking him when she raised up on her toes and softly kissed his right cheek, causing him to blush like mad as he smiled.

"W-What was that for…?" he asked softly, unable to stop himself from grinning broadly.

Angie returned the smile as she lowered back down and stepped away from him, rubbing his arm gently.

"All good dates end with a goodnight kiss…" she simply said, smiling as she waved gently. "Goodnight, Derek…"

Derek smiled, blush still evident on his cheeks. "Goodnight, Angie… sweet dreams."

"You too." she replied, casting one more sweet smile over to him before she walked into her apartment and closed the door.

Resting her back against the wall, Angie smiled and exhaled deeply, throwing her purse on the front table as she thought. She had been wined and dined, surprised with a new job, treated like a complete princess, tricked, and almost molested – and yet, she couldn't remember ever having had a better date than the one she had shared with Derek.

And as she walked over to her bedroom and shed her dress in favor of a comfortable pair of pajamas, she couldn't help but continue to smile, thinking of the night she had shared with her doctor – who, from the moment he picked her up until the second she closed the door, had been the biggest gentleman she had ever known.

Sliding under the covers she gave it one last thought before turning over to sleep, smiling until the second she slipped from consciousness.

Maybe allowing herself to like him in "that way", wasn't such a bad thing, after all.

Especially because he liked her, too.

* * *

**Aww, Derek IS a knight in shining armor... or scrubs, take your pick :D**

**Alrighty, well, that's the end - onto my never-ending list of things to finish! See you soon!**


End file.
